Visitors enjoy cultural feast in Wudang's Bouyei ethnic township

Xinbu Bouyei ethnic township in Wudang district has opened a total of 111 summer retreat homestays for visitors, attracting over 700 guests who stay for 40 days per person on average, with a monthly 2,200 yuan ($307) consumption per person, increasing local villagers' income.

In recent years, the township has encouraged villagers to renovate idle houses into homestays, helping them organize folk custom experience activities to attract visitors for summer retreats and residence.

The township held a special rural culture experience event on Aug 14 in Matou village, a characteristic Bouyei ethnic group village.

Villagers, dressed in their finest, set up a "gate blocking" ceremony to welcome guests and invited them to join in the bamboo pole dance, where people perform various movements and techniques on bamboo poles.

Visitors experience a bamboo pole dance with Matou villagers. [Photo/Guiyang Daily]

They then provided visitors with a cultural performance of the Puyue Thunder God Dragon Lantern, a Guizhou provincial-level intangible cultural heritage combining Han and Bouyei cultures.

Visitors also made local glutinous rice cakes and had long table feasts, as well as enjoying a village concert and campfire party.

"We hope more activities can be held that allow our summer retreat tourists to integrate with the villagers and share wonderful times together," said Wu Yingling, a tourist.

The township will plan more folk custom activities and improve the service quality of summer retreat residences to enrich visitors' experience.